History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c33.s6.6

v3.c33.s6.6

It must further be remembered that Shivaji never committed murder,[*] even in his high mission of establishing Swaraj. And he plundered rich cities in the Mogul or Bijapur territory only when he was at war with them, and only after setting himself up as a de facto independent sovereign. The right of belligerents to plunder the enemy has been recognised even in the west. Indeed plundering weakens the weaker nation's power of defence and increases the stronger's power of offence. England herself has plundered enemies many a time. Drake and Hawkins plundered the ships of Spain carrying gold from America to Spain when England was at war with the latter country. Drake even plundered the cities of Chili and Peru without the excuse of war and he has not been described by English historians as a bandit. The British have plundered the French at Pondichery in Indian history and have massacred and plundered the townspeople of Jhansi when that city fought and stood a siege in the mutiny of 1857. And yet these acts cannot, legally and even morally, be described or denounced as murders or dacoities. Mahmud or Shivaji never plundered their own subjects, and they both punished robbers in their territories severely. Shivaji so far recognised his duty as a king that he recompensed his subjects whenever his own soldiers or even the soldiers of an enemy plundered them.